"Wrestling with the issue for two weeks": Family troubles of Hanwha's Liberato lead to a 0-home run release

*This content was translated by AI.

Louis Liberato (31, registered name in Taiwan as Fang Li-duo), who played as a "lucky charm" for the Hanwha Eagles in the KBO League during the 2025 season, has ultimately left Taiwan without a rebound. While the surface reason was a mutual agreement to terminate the contract due to "family matters," it has been confirmed that psychological factors stemming from family circumstances were behind his severe slump.

The Funabashi Guardians officially announced on the 5th that they had terminated the contract with foreign hitter Liberato mid-season. The club stated, "Liberato parted ways due to recent personal family matters," adding, "The player himself struggled with the choice between his career and family, but the club respected his wishes and ended the contract by mutual agreement."

According to multiple local Taiwanese media outlets, including the Liberty Times, Lin Wei-chu, vice president of the Funabashi Guardians, provided a detailed explanation of Liberato's departure. Vice President Lin said, "Liberato has been mentioning family issues and considering an early return for about two weeks. Although he once indicated he might stay until the end of the first half, it appears he ultimately decided that returning to his family sooner was the right choice."

In fact, Liberato seemed unable to withstand the psychological pressure, showing a sharp decline in recent games. While he displayed decent form early in the season, his performance plummeted as family issues came to light. Liberato's final statistics stand at a .229 batting average (16 hits in 70 at-bats) over 19 games, with 0 home runs and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.551. Since hitting two hits on April 25, he went hitless in 12 at-bats, with his only extra-base hits being three doubles. He ultimately left the Taiwanese stage after going 0-for-4 against the Weichuan Dragons on the 3rd.

Vice President Lin Wei-chu also expressed regret regarding Liberato's performance, stating, "He was not bad early in the season, but it seems he could not fully concentrate on games due to family issues, resulting in poor performance."

With Liberato's departure, the Funabashi Guardians have been put on high alert for roster reinforcement. The club is highly considering signing another foreign hitter as a replacement. Vice President Lin said, "We are reviewing options for both pitchers and position players, but the probability of adding a position player is high. In particular, given the uncertain condition of key resource Chang Wei-ching's elbow, we are carefully considering our needs for both infield and outfield positions and will rush to make a signing."

Meanwhile, Liberato delivered impressive performances last season with Hanwha, batting .313 with 10 home runs, making him a candidate for contract renewal. However, on the Taiwanese stage this year, he is finishing his journey with regret, just before setting the unfortunate record for the most at-bats without a home run by a foreign player. Following the contract termination announcement on the 5th, Liberato immediately headed to the Dominican Republic, where his family is staying.

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*This content was translated by AI.